Sharon's son questioned in corruption probe

Israeli police today questioned Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s elder son Omri for nine hours in a corruption investigation, police said.

Sharon’s son, an MP of the ruling Likud Party, cooperated to some extent with his interrogators, Israeli media said.

Police spokesman Gil Kleiman confirmed Omri Sharon was questioned, but gave no details.

In the coming weeks, the Prime Minister is also likely to be interrogated, the Haaretz newspaper’s website reported. Mr Sharon has denied wrongdoing.

Omri Sharon was questioned by police on previous occasions in relation to a case that dates back to October 2001.

At the time, Israel’s state comptroller said Omri Sharon improperly raised money outside Israel from a company called Annex Research for his father’s successful 1999 campaign to win the Likud leadership.

The comptroller asked Sharon to reimburse the company US$980,000 (€893,558) that it paid his campaign. The Prime Minister repaid the loan.

However, police are now investigating how the Sharon family received the money to return the loan.

Police are investigating a transfer of US 1.5 million by South African businessman Cyril Kern to Omri Sharon and his younger brother, Gilad. Kern’s money allegedly served as collateral for a loan obtained from a different Israeli bank to repay Annex.

Israel’s Justice Ministry has asked the South African authorities to assist it in investigating the allegations.